The Secrets Behind the Facade
by Erica Dawn
Summary: It's a story set between HOHH and 13 Ghosts about Watson's sister and her revenge.


Kalina Oretzia swished the vodka around in her glass. She still wore the black dress from the funeral. She swished the alcohol around once more. She was in no mood to drink, but it was something to do. It was something to take her mind off her poor brother; her poor, geeky brother who had died under unexplainable circumstances. It was the same unexplainable circumstances that had taken their father.

Kalina finally gave up on the glass and set it on the polished wood table. Then her husband entered. Colin picked up the one thing that she had been avoiding with all her might.

"Why haven't you opened your brother's letter?" he asked, holding it before her. Kalina averted looking at his grey eyes. They had a hypnotic quality that wouldn't allow her to refuse.

"I know what's in it," she said, coldly, "It's the deed to that stupid house...that stupid fucking house."

Colin tossed the envelope on the table where it slid into the glass and narrowly missed falling off. He sat on the couch and wrapped his tall figure around her in a hug. She sunk into his arms.

"What are you going to do about the house?"

"If I had my way, it would be burned to the ground."

"But..."

"I'll have to settle for having it razed," she said, her eyes looking into his.

"Do you really think that that's all it will take?" he asked. She pulled away.

"Don't start this again. It's not ghosts. There's no such thing as ghosts."

"Even your brother admitted that the house was evil. Listen, I knew this guy in high school..."

"No," she said, firmly, "I'm going to call up a company and have that building destroyed. Then, it'll be over and I'll never worry about that stupid hill again."

Kalina entered her home office and slumped into the swivel chair. She shouldn't have snapped at Colin, but sometimes they were too different. She twisted a lock of her dark hair. It was the same color as Wilson's hair. She tapped at the picture of her and Wilson.

"I'm not going to let anyone else die like you and daddy, I promise."

She picked up her phone and pressed four on the speed dial.

"Spectre construction, Timothy speaking," said a voice on the other end.

"It's me, Kalina."

"Oh, Kalina...how are you doing?" he asked, hesitantly.

"I'm...I'm fine. I need your help."

"What is it?"

"I need a building destroyed."

"Wouldn't happen to be the one on the hill, would it?"

"It would."

Kalina heard him sigh and it was a very long pause before he spoke again.

"Uh, I'll see what I can do, that's all I can promise."

"All right, thanks," said Kalina and she hung up the phone, hoping he would come through.

"It's been eight weeks since the newest round of deaths at the house on haunted hill and today it's being destroyed by the wrecking ball...but not if these protestors have anything to do with it," said a woman facing a large camera. She turned over his mike to a woman with a shirt that said Protect History.

"It's an important piece of L.A. history..." started the woman. Kalina scowled several feet away and looked at the dark woman beside her for comfort.

"She doesn't understand. She hasn't lost someone. I certainly haven't heard Eddie Baker or Sara Wolfe complain."

"It still seems a shame to tear it down," said Kenika.

"Don't tell me that you're going to join that group over there," said Kalina to her dearest friend, "I need you today since the museum needed Colin."

Kenika turned her braided head towards the protestors.

"No, I'm here for you, girl."

"Good," said Kalina before a microphone was thrust in her face.

"Taffy Skeeter, Channel 3 News, Mrs. Oretzia, what is your reasoning for tearing down this infamous edifice?"

Colin looked up from his cataloguing to see his wife grilled on live tv.

"I should be there," he said, readjusting his glasses. Dr. Bloom entered with a new box full of stuff.

"Mr. Price was certainly eccentric," remarked his boss. He picked up an object from the top. It was old wire rim glasses with large coke bottle lenses. It had an odd sheen to it and Bloom wore a quizzical look.

"What are these for?"

Colin took them from the doctor and looked at them.

"I don't know," said Colin before as screaming from the television interrupted them. At first, all he could make out was screaming. His mind quickly raced with possibilities.

"Kalina?"

Kalina watched in horror as the wrecking ball broke off the cable and started to fly towards them. She stood frozen for a brief second before running. She ran blindly as far as she could before the metal ball dug deeply into the earth. Concrete and asphalt spewed all around her and she felt blood trickle from her arm, but she was alive. She narrowed her eyes at the house.

"It appears that the wrecking ball snapped off the cable and flew towards the spectators...Do we have instant replay? We have instant replay."

Colin watched anxiously as they showed a crane operator swinging a ball towards the center of the former hospital. The wrecking ball seemed to hit an invisible force, break off the cable and smash into the ground, barely missing a couple of the protestors.

"Go, you should go to her. I'll take care of things, just come in early tomorrow."

Colin nodded, took his briefcase and took his cell off the charger. He scrolled through his list as he made his way upstairs and called the number.

"Spectre constru...," started Timothy, but he was cut off.

"It's me, Colin. Have you heard from Hobbit lately?"

"You know I haven't, he's hard to get a hold of."

"He always has been."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I saw him like a year ago. He was delivering pizzas in the valley."

"He hasn't had it as good as us since college."

"Yeah, but I need him. I want him to check out the house."

"I don't know, that could kill Hobbit."

Colin sighed.

"I know, but it was the only way I could think of."

"I'll ask Shaggy, but it's a long shot."

"Tim, it's not like he can easily blend in."

"I know, I'll talk to you later," said Tim and hung up.

Later that night, Kalina stopped cutting her chicken and slightly pounded the knife on the table.

"Of course, the preliminary investigation will take six months. Ughh, I want it done now."

Colin felt a vibration go through his body. His pager had gone off.

"What does Bloom want now?" she inquired, but the message read, "I found him. Call me later."

"That was fast," said Colin and he turned to her, "I may have found a solution to our problem. Do you remember my friend Hobbit?"

"Hobbit, the one you never talk to anymore, whom I have never met and shared a traumatic experience that none of you would ever forget? Oh, yeah, I know him like the back of my thumb," she said, sarcastically.

"Never mind that, I'll see if he can come to your office tomorrow."

Kalina folded her arms in back of her plate.

"I don't trust your friends that well, honey."

"What about Tim?"

"I don't trust your friends that well, honey. Tim knows people, he knows his business...sort of, but that's all he's good for."

Colin traced the part in his hair and asked, "What do you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure. I'll think of something."

Kalina studied the security monitor at her assistant's desk. Colin had made sure his friend would arrive while they were at lunch that Friday. She gave her husband a look.

"He doesn't look like a Hobbit to me. He has to be at least your height, over six feet."

"He's two inches taller, actually, but when we met in eighth grade, he was barely five feet and round like a hobbit." She continued to watch the man seated in her office with his loud blue shirt, but the oddest things were the hands. They were covered by gloves despite the hot L.A. weather outside. He impatiently tapped his fingers against his thigh.

"For me," said Colin, his irresitable eyes dazzling hers so she responded, "fine."

He kissed and said, "Thanks."

He left and she entered the office to meet Hobbit. He still seemed slightly bored and relieved to see her come in. She spoke first.

"You're Hobbit, otherwise known as Dennis Rafkin?"


End file.
